Filming the new Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black is proving to be a tall order.
There have been complaints that stars Marisa Abela and Jack O’Connell don’t look enough like Amy and her former husband, Blake Fielder-Civil.
But we can reveal one difference has caused a major headache behind the scenes – the lack of height difference between the two actors.
While superstar Amy was six inches shorter than Blake, Marisa and Jack are the same height. And insiders on set say film bosses have been jumping through hoops to minimise the impact of them literally seeing eye to eye.
One reveals: “People have remarked on how little they look like Amy and Blake – especially the height difference between them.
“We’re used to images of Blake towering over Amy but Jack is the same height as Marisa.
“That’s meant flat shoes for her and an awful lot of cleverly filmed scenes.”
In one sequence, the couple are seen drinking in a park – with Amy swigging from a bottle of rosé.
The insider explains: “In that scene, Jack spends most of his time lying down on the grass rather than standing. There’s only so much they can do, but there’s been a lot of time and effort put into making sure the lack of height difference doesn’t jar with audiences.”
Amy’s fans were not impressed when Marisa was cast as the star of the biopic, with many saying she looked “nothing like” the Back to Black icon.
But our insider defended the movie bosses’ choice and says that while Marisa is not a dead ringer for the star, her vocal skills left no room for doubt.
They reveal: “There was one scene filmed last month where she performed F**k Me Pumps, from Amy’s first album Frank.
“She absolutely blew everyone away. It sounded just like Amy.
“If you closed your eyes, it was like listening to the record. So while there were also talks on set that Marisa looked nothing like Amy – even after hours spent doing her hair and make-up, which is a worry – she impressed everyone with her performances.”
The insider says Jack was also “unfazed by mutterings about the differences between him and Blake”.
They add: “He seems thrilled to be part of the project, despite the high pressure being piled on it. He was chatting away with everyone.”
Good for him. Controversies aside, we can’t wait to see it.
